INCREASING the number of female entrepreneurs in Scotland could generate more than £7 billion for the economy, says the new women’s employment secretary.

In her first major speech since Angela Constance was appointed to the Scottish Cabinet, she highlighted the benefits of closing the entrepreneurial gender gap.

“A disproportionately low number of small to medium sized-enterprises are female-led and that less than a third of self-employed people are women. Work from the Hunter Centre indicates that if women's participation rates matched men's, it could also boost the economy by as much as 5 per cent – a difference of £7.6 billion.

“Recent labour market figures have shown a real boost for women in employment. If we can match those gains in entrepreneurship, both Scotland’s economic growth and its equality in employment will take significant strides forward.”